Fox Cities' families have to travel to get to big waterparks, like the one shown here at Blue Harbor in Sheboygan. A reader suggested building one closer to home. / Gannett Wisconsin Media

Written by

Maureen Wallenfang

Post-Crescent staff writer

Readers jumped at the chance to be community development gurus, for a moment at least.

I asked online and print readers to pick a vacant building or location and suggest what should go in that spot. It’s repurposing and recycling on a grand scale.

In round one last week, readers suggested making the shuttered Senor Tequila and its adjacent bars into one large AJ Bombers, a burger joint headquartered in Milwaukee. A reader envisioned the vacant Famous Labels in Darboy as a Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Another decided that any spot on Appleton’s north side was ideal for a Trader Joe’s. A couple of people suggested a vacancy in the Fox River Mall should be turned into an Apple store.

In round two this week, more readers chimed in with suggestions via posts and emails.

Three readers had thoughts about entertainment venues.

“I would like to see the old Kmart lot on College Avenue have an indoor and outdoor waterpark built so it is visible from highway 41,” mused reader Vicki DePasse. “Just think of the business the restaurants would get around there. Since the exhibition center is being built, the families of business people at the conventions could go to the waterpark. No attached hotel necessary, since we have many great ones already.”

Reader Chris Green’s thoughts ran to turning an empty building into a pool hall, though he didn’t have a particular building in mind.

“My dream would be to have a building big enough to do a dry bar for kids to have a controlled place to hang out at and learn some things,” he wrote. “I would also like to have part of it as a full 21-and-over bar/pool hall for the more serious player.”

Another reader, Dick Kirk, likes Blu, a restaurant with a view in Milwaukee. He said the same idea could work here in one of downtown Appleton’s taller buildings.

“If there are vacancies on upper floors of either the Zuelke building or the 222 building, I would suggest a bar/restaurant/nightclub,” said Kirk. “Because of its views, it would be a wonderful place to sit and relax and dine.”

Several readers joined the chorus of voices asking for a Trader Joe’s and gave alternate locations.

“My wife and I would love to see a Trader Joe’s open in Neenah on the remaining portion of the abandon Big Lots on Green Bay Road and Winneconne — just South of the new Kwik Trip,” said Caleb Schmidt.

“Surely the Darboy/SE part of Appleton would have room for one and (is) well populated for good business,” wrote Carolyn Wenzel.

Reader Jeff Ebben took a big empty space in Darboy space and filled it with branches of his favorite Grand Chute restaurants.

“I would like to see a Golden Corral inside the old Supersaver in Darboy,” he wrote in a post on postcrescent.com. “If there is any additional room I would also like to see a HuHot in the same building.”